Stretcher.



s. E. MOHLER.

STHETCHER.

APPLICATION FlLED JAN-2T, 9L6.

Patented July 4, 1916.

"InHHIIHHIIIII 9 W BY I WITNESSES SARDIS E. MOBILER, or FREMONT, OHIO.

STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Application filed January 27, 1916. Serial No. 74,662.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SARDIS E. MOHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stretchers and more particularly to stretchers for poultry whereby fowls may be forced into a position that will cause them to be motionless and their limbs to be fully extended.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a stretcher that will provide means for stretching a fow'l so that a surgical operation may be performed on the fowl without danger of its moving.

A further object of-the invention is the provision of a stretcher for fowls whereby cockerels may be stretched tightly and bound, but at the same time allow easy access to the spine of the cockerel so caponizing may beeasily and humanely accomplished. V

A further object of this invention is the provision of a stretcher which consists of a comparatively few parts and is simple in construction, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected.

For a full description of the invent-ion and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view vof the stretching device showing a fowl secured thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The base 1 of the device is of substantially rectangular formation and has extended therefrom at one of its ends, a projecting arm 2. The end of the base 1, opposite to the end upon which the arm 2 is provided, is a plate 3 which ,is provided with ears 1, spaced apart and having a stop member 5 fixed in the space provided by the ear. A pivot pin 6 is mounted in the cars A and has pivotally mounted thereon for swinging movement the bell crank lever 7 and the arm The other arm 9 of'the bell crank lever is beveled at its end to provide a point 10;

Upstanding ears 11 are provided on the plate 3 opposite to the ears 4; and the pivot pin 12, which is motmted in the ears 11, is -of a greater height from the plate 3'than the pivot pin 6 of the bell crank lever. An L-shaped lever 13 is pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 12. The lower extreme end of the L-shaped lever 13 is provided with a notch 14 which receives the point 10 of the arm 9. The free end of thelever 13 is bent at right angles toprovide an arm 15 which extends toward the arm 8 and contacts therewith. Adjacent the end of the plate 3 is a staple 16, which has secured thereto, a

contracting spring 17 which has its opposite end fixed in an eye bolt 18. The eye bolt 18 is mounted in the lever 13 in a positlon slightly above the pivot point 12 and by its contracting force tends to hold the notch 14 tightly in engagement with the point 10 of the lever arm 9. It will be observed that this construction serves to provide a yoke through which the wings'of the fowl are adapted to be extended as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing, by bringing the wingsbackwardly over the shoulders of the fowl and placing them within the yoke, when the yoke is open. The opposite end of the base 1 is provided with a track 19 which is of clove-tail formation in cross sec tion. Mounted upon the track 19 for 1on gitudinal sliding movement, is a plate 20, which has extending upwardly therefrom, the arcuate arms 21, which are spaced from each other a short distance to provide a fork so that the legs of the fowl may be caught between the arms 21 and thereby cause them to be shackled together. An arm 22 is provided, which has its forward end pivoted on a pivot point 23, which is mounted in the lower part of the upstanding members 21, the end of the lever 22 being provided at a point beyond the pivot point 23, with a cam 24:, which is adapted to engage the track 19 through the slot in the plate 20 when the lever 22 is moved on its pivot. A finger ring 25 is secured to the end of the lever 22 so that the device may be moved along the track 19 and so that the lever 22 may be raised or lowered for engaging the cam 2A with the track 19 for securely looking the members 21 in position after the fowl has been stretched.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that a very simple and durable stretcher has been provided, the details of which embody the preferred form. I desire it to be understood, however, that slight changes or modifications in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What is claimed is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base, of a track mounted upon said base, a plate slidably mounted upon the track for longitudinal adjustment, said plate carrying a fork comprising a pair of laterally spaced curved arms joined together at their lower ends, a pivot pin carried by the lower end of said arms, and a cam mounted on the pivot pin and arranged in a space provided in the plate and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with said track for locking said arms in adjusted position.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base, a plate mounted upon said base, said plate provided with upstanding cars at each end, levers pivotally mounted on said ears and shaped to have their ends contact with each other, means for looking two of the ends on said levers together, and resilient means for holding said levers in locked position.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base, a bell crank lever, an L- shaped lever, said bell crank lever and said L-shaped lever being pivotally mounted upon said base at one end thereof and disposed in position whereby their ends will contact with each other, and resilient means carried by said base and attached to said L-shaped lever for holding the end of said L-shaped lever and said bell crank lever in engagement.

a. A device of the character described comprising a base, a bell crank lever, an L- sha 36d lever said bell crank lever and said upon said base at one end thereof and disposed in position whereby their ends will contact with each other, a spring elementconnected to said base and to said L-shaped lever for holding said levers in engagement, and a fork comprising pair of spaced arms, said fork being longitudinally adjustable on said base, and manually operated means for locking said fork in adjusted position.

5. A device of the character described comprising a base, a bell crank lever, an L- shaped lever, said bell crank lever and said L-shaped lever being pivotally mounted upon said base at one end thereof and disposed in position whereby their ends will contact with each other, a spring element connected to said base and to said. L-shaped lever for holding said levers in engagement, and a fork comprising a pair of spaced arms, said fork being longitudinally adjustable on said base, manually operated, a cam pivotally mounted at the base of said fork and engaging said base, and a handle integrally formed with said cam for operating said cam.

(3. A device of the character described comprising a base, a bell. crank lever, an l shaped lever pivotally mounted adjacent said bell crank lever having one of its. ends contacting with said bell crank lever and the other of its ends provided with a notch for the reception of one end of the bell crank lever, a spring element secured to said lever for holding said lever in locked position, a shackle slidably mounted at the opposite end of said base, and means for adjusting and securing said shackle to said base.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SARDIS E. MQHLER.

Witnesses MONROE SMITH, T. A. LANG.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner er Patents, Washington, 33. '0. 

